Time for Tears
by ArouraLeona
Summary: The final battle has come for the heroes of Japan's past, and it will be more than a slight struggle. The story is short, but the writing style is harder to read than most of what I have written before. Please review. Flames are accepted.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, I do own this story… don't sue me if you are an emotional person who feels no shame in letting a few tears fall when reading a fanfic…  I cried when I wrote it.

**Author's note:** I don't have much to say really except that this is probably the saddest thing I have ever written in my entire life… but don't let that discourage you, I think that it's rather good.  Okay, I re-read this (it was written at 2 AM this morning, it is 12.30 PM right now) and the only real thing I have to add is that you really have to pay attention to what you are reading.  The style is different from anything I've ever used before, and its mostly vague… but it will make sense if you READ it.  This is not a big problem if you pay attention to the words and intent behind the words, but if you are someone who just like a quick simply written story, I do not recommend this one.

Oh, its not as sad as I thought it was this morning either… lol.

**A Time for Tears**

Once upon a time, there was a girl come to a place where she was not from, yet somehow she found a home.  There was a young man who was born into rank and privilege there, but not granted it, and oddly enough, he also found a home.  Those who took them in, those who called them friend, and whom they called friend, would have been considered odd by many others, but they were very dear to one another.

They cared for each other greatly, but most of all they cared for the girl who cared more than anyone had ever cared before or would ever care again.  That is what makes their tale all the more tragic, but such tragedies often strike down good people, for good people are willing to face hardship and pain in order to spare others… this is what makes them good.

These people, this band of friends, comrades, brothers & sisters; this group was a group of fighters who were destined to battle against the ultimate of evils, and, if they wished there to be a world in the future, win.  These were heroes in the making, legends that had not yet been written even though tales of their journeys had already spread through the populace.  These were the last hope of humankind… no, of all kind who roams the earth.

The climax of their story came during battle… but the tragedy was only realized after the climax had reached its end, and the end itself had come to pass.

During this battle, which they were expected to win, they all fought hard without a care for their own lives, which was also expected, but they were often found risking those lives for a chance to rescue one of their comrades from that final danger.  Throughout the battle, an energy could be felt that linked the five together, regardless of the distance between them, their love for one another was that great.  

Though it is not too surprising, the five became separated in this great battle, each fighting against demons of flesh or of an illusion, which pierced the darkest of memories.  They tried to stay together, for one is always greater with greater numbers, but some things cannot be helped, and when Fate is goading the movement of the field, there is little reason to waste the energy trying to defy Him.  Yet, they fought all the harder because they knew the quicker they could end their own personal wars, the sooner they could reunite with those they held dear, and while they fought their worry for the others sustained them when energy and strength waned.

Eventually, even the worry and love began to loose to the vast numbers the enemy was able to send forth, and desperation, as well as despair, slowly took hold of their senses.  All felt that they would die, but each vowed that they would be the only ones to suffer that fate, for they all held one thought within them, _'if I sacrifice my life to end this, the others can go on to live lives free of the shadow of evil.'  _

Soon after, all had begun to fall, save the girl and the young man.  These were perhaps the strongest, and for sure, the most persistent and both were avowed to love the other with a love that ran far deeper than friendship, though that love was there as well.

In the last moments of this climax, they both lost strength and blood to their formidable enemy, but, and this was not expected, the young man was the first to cry out in an unimaginable pain.

The enemy who delivered the blow, which provoked such a reaction, might not have heard this moan of pain, but across the field of battle, the young girl heard his cry, and this cry gave her strength beyond belief.  It gave her strength to push away from her opponents and retrieve her bow, which had become lost early on in the battle.  It gave her strength to draw the arrow, fletching lightly brushing her earlobe.  It gave her the strength to pour all her strength into that shaft of ash and tip of flint, and send it hurtling toward he who controlled the massive army they fought against.

Indeed, with this mighty effort their enemy did fall, fail, and fade into the darkness of the dead.

The allies rejoiced from their respective positions on the field.

The comrades rushed to one another, and then rushed once more to the place where the girl was last seen in a pillar of lighted power… the one who defeated the enemy.

But when they reached that place the pillar was gone, and the girl was not standing.

In the disbelief that comes when one is faced with a tragedy on top of an already stressful and trying time, they took the final steps that would bring them to the pale figure who had been the vibrant heroin mere minutes before.  One who was from her former home would have compared the scene to something out of a fairy tale such as Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White perhaps.

And this was much like Snow White in that the girl lay upon a field of the greenest grass, with the sunlight of the dawn shining warmly and fondly upon her body, which appeared to be in a quite rest… a quite rest that was best described as death.

For the girl did put all her strength into that shaft of ash and tip of flint which pierced the body of the enemy sending him to death… she abandoned that strength while watching Death waiting beside her patiently to take her beyond the mortal realm.  

The girl's friends fell to her side, each mourning in their own way… one weeping, one shrieking in disbelief, one comforting those both, and the young man… the young man sat at her head and ran his fingers through her shining ebony hair.  He touched her, knowing that in a matter of moments, her lids would rise off of clear blue eyes, and her face would light up in joy at his caresses, for they came so rarely.  Those matter of moments passed, however, followed by a great many more, and slowly as grief, as depression, as despair, the knowledge came to him that she might not ever open her eyes to him again.  With that, his heart was torn from his body… and his soul began to unravel from the mortal plain, finding no use in staying when she who was his life, had lost her life.

There were things that needed doing, and he knew that she would want him to take her body to a calm, unblood-soaked grave, and he knew also that it would only be right of him to inform those from her old home of what had transpired.  So he lifted her stiffening, cold body and turned in the direction of their… his home.

In the haze of grief, his friends followed him, though if he remembered their presence we will never know; days passed and he never said a word to any outside of her family.  After they placed her body in the ground next to the tree where, in many ways, their life began, he finally allowed a few tears to leave his eyes.  

As all the mourners left her gravesite, words of condolence in their wake, he remained by her side… and forever remained by her side.

With nothing else in the world for him, his soul chose that time and place to depart from its physical confinement to join with the half of him he lost in the climax of battle.

When found the next day, his death was also mourned, but all had expected it, and the remaining three members of that band of heroes knew it was for the best…

After all, soon enough they would all be together again, and maybe if Fate was kind, they would be allowed to return with one another in their next life… and if any deserved Fate's kindness it is they.

They who suffered the tragedy of heroes above all others.


End file.
